Gerald Ford
When Gerald R. Ford took the oath of office on August 9, 1974, he
declared, "I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances....
This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts."
It was indeed an unprecedented time. He had been the first Vice President
chosen under the terms of the Twenty-fifth Amendment and, in the aftermath
of the Watergate scandal, was succeeding the first President ever
to resign.
Lesson Plans | Primary
Sources |
Lesson Plans:
The
Life of a President - In this lesson, students learn about Gerald
Ford’s presidency and other accomplishments through research
and through historical articles. They then create posters comparing
the information provided in the articles with current assessments
of his legacy offered in his New York Times obituary.
.
A
Heartbeat from the Presidency: The Role of the Vice President
- The purpose of this lesson is to acquaint students with the Constitutional
requirements and rules regarding the Vice Presidency and to give them
a chance to research the ways in which past Vice Presidents have become
Presidents.
Primary Source Documents:
Gerald
Ford Online Documents, Photographs and Exhibits - Although the
Ford Library staff has made no attempt to systematically scan entire
collections (with one small exception), a number of exhibits, documents
and photographs are available.
Gerald
R. Ford's Remarks on Taking the Oath of Office as President -
"The oath that I have taken is the same oath that was taken by
George Washington and by every President under the Constitution. But
I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances never before
experienced by Americans. This is an hour of history that troubles
our minds and hurts our hearts"... <more>
Gerald R. Ford on Pardoning Richard Nixon - On September 8, 1974,
one month after President Richard Nixon resigned the presidency amid
the Watergate scandal, his successor, President Gerald R. Ford, announced
his decision to grant Nixon a full pardon for any crimes he may have
committed while in office. Link includes Page 1 and Page 2 of the
pardon.
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=Elem/Middle School K-8
